Overview
Salary: The starting salary will be from £33,610 per year on Grade E, depending on qualifications and experience.
Contractual hours: 36.5
Package: Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable).
Job category/type: Research
Date posted: 01/09/2025
Job reference: Q07838
Environment, Science and Economy
This new full-time post is available from January 1st 2026 on a fixed term basis until 1st January 2029.
The post
The Faculty wishes to recruit a Graduate Research Assistant (PhD studentship) to support the work of Professor Lina Mercado. This European Council funded PhD studentship is available from 01/01/2026 until 01/01/2029. The successful applicant will be in charge of modelling the response of European forests to heatwaves as part the FutureForests Doctoral Network, an EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie’s Actions (MSCA) initiative.
FutureForests Doctoral Network aims to train 15 next generation scientists in assessing the impacts of global change on European forests utilising a unique network of European flagship field forest facilities covering the dominant forest types and regions (dry Mediterranean, temperate and boreal) in Europe. FutureForests connects nine manipulation facilities for addressing emerging research questions and engages >20 academic and associated partners (NGOs, Industry & Government organizations) for delivering an interdisciplinary, integrated and transferable career skills programme.
Individual projects within FutureForests programme maps into four key interrelated science objectives with a focus on assessing responses of 1) tree functional processes including leaf metabolism, growth, C and water relations, 2) soil processes including nutrient cycling and soil organic matter dynamics, 3) impacts of global change on biodiversity and tree vulnerability to pest and diseases, and, 4) advancing modelling of forest responses to climate extremes and fire risk reduction. FutureForests combines excellent training for doctoral researchers, diverse supervisions and international mobility for impactful research to benefit society and the economy and to inform forest policies under the EU Green Deal and international climate mitigation efforts (Paris Climate Agreement, 2015). FutureForests is to provide next generation scientists with skills and knowledge “most wanted” in academic and non-academic employability sectors.
This specific Doctoral Graduate Researcher Assistant position focuses on simulating heatwaves in European forests. The work will capitalize on the new generation of plant hydraulic representation within land surface models that now exists, which have only been tested for tropical forests. Given the recent increase of heatwaves and the variety of drought manipulation experiments in European forests, there is now a unique opportunity to test and inform these models using this new data.
Key objectives of this PhD studentship are 1) to use observations from soil and atmospheric drought manipulation experiments from different European forest types to improve representation of European forest responses to recurrent droughts (soil and atmospheric) within the Land Surface model (LSM) of an Earth System Model (ESM), and 2) Use the improved model to simulate impacts of recent heat waves on European forests; and alternative ecosystem level observations, of carbon and water exchange between the forest and the atmosphere, during these events to evaluate model improvements.
About you
The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.
Applicants will be educated to first degree level or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study or equivalent experience and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to :
* Learn to run the Joint UK land Environment Simulator (JULES), land surface model of the UK Earth System model and understand the representation of vegetation carbon and water cycles within the model
* Use Unix and Fortran and also either R or Python for data analysis and JULES model output
* Understand state of the art representations of plant hydraulics and heat stress within vegetation in land surface models
* Prepare JULE simulations at experimental sites from FutureForests
* Use experimental site observations to improve and evaluate JULES
* Perform region wide JULES simulations
* Write 3 articles/chapters and introduction for PhD completion
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.
What we can offer you
* Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
* Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
* An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
* Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
* A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
* A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon
Specific to FutureForest studentships
* Full employment contract with competitive salary for three years.
* Mobility allowance (~£5800/year), and family allowance if applicable (~£4090/year) adjusted for the cost of living in the host country (in this case UK). Values subject to exchange rate when appointment is made.
* Access to state-of-the-art forest manipulation facilities, laboratories and expert supervision.
* International secondments and training events and networking with 14 fellow PhD students from FutureForests.
* The University pay scale will be subject to a cost of living review each year, but you will not receive annual increments.
The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).
We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.
Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.
With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.
We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.
Further information
For further information please contact Professor Lina Mercado, e-mail l.mercado@exeter.ac.uk
The closing date for completed applications is 30th September. Interviews are expected to take place during first two weeks of October.
#J-18808-Ljbffr